The Lightning Flash's Companion
by Gamer95
Summary: Vernon and Petunia buy SAO for Dudley, but decide to test if it's safe using Harry. Now trapped in the game, Harry is confused and scared at first...but it turns out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to him when Asuna finds him all alone... No Kirito. Kirito is boring, bland and I don't like him.
1. Chapter 1

Harry let out a soft whimper of pain, lying all alone in the darkness of his cupboard. His uncle had just finished the daily beating, and he was in so much agony...

Then, he flinched when he heard his aunt and uncle's voices.

"Vernon, this machine is far too dangerous for our precious Dudders!"

"You're worrying too much, dear. I'm sure it's perfectly safe."

"But-"

"I know! If it will make you feel better, we'll make the freak test it."

Harry shielded his eyes as the cupboard door threw open.

Before Harry knew it, he was being grabbed by the collar of his oversized shirt and yanked out of the cupboard, hitting his head on the door frame on the way out. Harry winced in pain as he was dragged upstairs and into the living room by Vernon.

Once inside, Vernon threw Harry onto a the floor and sneered at him as he got up. "Time for you to pull your weight around her you little, useless, freak!" Vernon told him.

Harry whimpered, and then grunted in pain as his uncle roughly slammed an odd headgear onto his cranium, causing him to fall flat on his back. The obese man proceeded to grab his nephew off the floor and slam him as hard as he could against the living room table, causing an audible crunching noise to sound from Harry's body.

Harry had to stop himself from crying in pain. If he cried his uncle would hurt him even more. Vernon approached him to inspect whether or not the Nerve Gear was working. When it looked like it didn't, Vernon glared and slapped Harry.

"TURN IT ON, FREAK!" Vernon boomed.

"I...I don't know how..." Harry whimpered.

"Try pressing the Power button, Vernon." Petunia suggested. Vernon blinked, and did so.

Harry's eyes widened as a series of bright lights shot out in front of his eyes...

Harry started shaking while Vernon and Petunia looked on with confusion. "Now what? Is it working?" Vernon asked. Petunia picked up the instruction manual and leafed through it. Her confused expression changed to one of understanding when she found what she was looking for.

"It says here that after the power button has been pushed and you have found a comfortable position to station your body, you need to says "Link Start" to enter the game." Petunia recited as Vernon nodded in understanding and stormed over to Harry threateningly.

"Say "link start", boy."

"L-Link start..." Harry whimpered.

The lights grew even brighter, and Harry suddenly found himself standing in a blank void.

"Please create your character." A female robotic voice sounded throughout the void. Harry staggered back nervously as a menu appeared in front of him.

"W-Where am I?" Harry asked nervously, hoping that he would get an answer. Unfortunately for Harry, the character customization program didn't respond by answering his question, but by repeating what it said earlier. "Please create your character."

The little boy nervously approached the menu, and tentatively reached out to touch it. He jumped back when it opened up a new menu. It was asking him what kind of warrior he wanted to be. Swordsman, gunman, mage...

Harry was confused and scared, so he just rushed through all of the menu screens, not even knowing what he was doing. Another flash of light...

Another flash of light engulfed the room, blinding Harry and forcing him to cover his eyes with his arms. The last thing he heard before the light vanished was, "Now loading...Good Luck."

When Harry opened his eyes, he found himself in a small town. A small town full of people! Oh no! Nobody was supposed to see him! If he was seen, Uncle Vernon would kill him!

Without a word to anyone, he ran away from the scene as fast as he could before someone saw him.

But despite not wanting to be spotted by anyone, some people noticed him and saw that he was running towards the exit of the town.

"WAIT KID, DON'T GO THAT WAY ALONE! IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE!" One random person yelled, attracting a lot of attention from everyone else in the immediate facility.

Hearing someone calling out to him, Harry freaked out and pushed himself to go faster until he went through the gate and out to the plains that surrounded the town.

After he was sure he'd gotten away from the people in the town, Harry allowed himself to rest his hands on his knees. He began panting heavily for ten minutes. Then, he rose to his feet and looked around, unnerved by how vast the field he stood in was. 'Now what am I gonna do?' He thought nervously. He looked around...and his eyes widened when he saw another person, a woman with light brown hair fighting a boar. The woman finished off her enemy, then turned to see Harry looking at her. The two's eyes met...and then Harry turned and ran.

The young woman just looked at his rapidly retreating figure in confusion for a moment before shrugging. "Well that was something. I'm sure he's with a group..." Asuna said before looking around for the next boar to slay for leveling up.

A few hours later, Harry was hiding in a hole at the bottom of a tree, terrified beyond all belief. "I-I don't want to be here anymore." Harry said softly as he started shaking. "I want to go back to my cupboard." Harry was then startled when a faraway bell rang loudly. "Wh-what was-" Harry tried to say but was interrupted when he was immediately covered in light and teleported back into the town he first arrived at.

Harry's eyes widened as he realized he had been forced back into the town. And there were people EVERYWHERE. With a soft whimper, he ran to hide behind a nearby barrel, not wanting to be seen. He heard a voice, and looked up to see a hologram of a man in the sky...

"Attention, players. Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world." The red cloaked figure introduced himself. The booming of his voiced caused Harry to whimper in fright as he wished he was anywhere else. He ended up missing some of the stuff that Kayaba said until he got to a specific point in his speech.

"You cannot log out of Sword Art Online yourselves. And no one on the outside can shutdown or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying you brain and ending your life." Kayaba explained, causing everyone to go into an uproar.

Harry's heart stopped beating for a second. _'I can die in here?!' _Harry thought in fear. His fear was confirmed when he heard a black haired teen talking about how Kayaba was right and if the safety of the transmitters were turned off, then it could fry their brains.

_Meanwhile..._

Vernon and Petunia sat watching the news in front of the TV, and their eyes widened in horror when they heard the news of the NerveGear's true functions. Petunia turned to Vernon.

"I told you that thing was too dangerous for our Dudders! You're lucky the freak put it on instead!"

Vernon grinned evilly. "If we take the helmet off, we can be rid of the freak once and for all!" Petunia frowned.

"VERY tempting...Unfortunately, the rest of his freaky kind won't like that..." Vernon looked down in disappointment.

"...I can still beat him, right?" Petunia smirked.

"Well of course."

Vernon turned to look at Harry's basically comatose body with malicious intent as he walked towards him.

_Back in SAO..._

Harry was curled up in a ball in fear during the rest of Kayaba's explanation and didn't really hear that much else due to his terrified stat but did hear that around 213 players were already died because someone already took the NerveGears off their head. _'What if Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia find out?! They'll take the helmet off and I'll die!'_ Harry thought to himself, feeling very depressed by the fact that he could literally die at any moment because of his cruel relatives.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted as a sharp pain shot through his stomach. His entire body was feeling extremely sore for some reason...Was Uncle Vernon still beating him?

He immediately forgot the pain when Kayaba disappeared, leaving everyone screaming and panicking, running around like headless chickens.

Harry couldn't take it. It was too loud. He curled up as tightly as he could, and let out a soft whimper of fear.

After awhile, the noise started to die down as everyone began to leave the town center. Eventually everyone left, leaving Harry all alone. Harry started to whimper again as he let a few tears fall from his eyes.

"Why do bad things always happen to me? Why am I a freak? Why am I not lovable?" Harry mumbled in depression as he started to shake.

Asuna was just close enough to hear what vaguely sounded like soft whimpering. She turned around in confusion at the noise, then shrugged it off.

"It must be my imagination..." She mused. Without a word, she turned and walked in the opposite direction of the noise.

Harry climbed to his feet, and began to sadly start walking, not caring where he was going.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a rough week after it became apparent that all 10,000 players that were logged on the first day of Sword Art Online's release. Within only a span of a week, some people went mad, became depressed, or committed suicide, or a combination of all three. But while a small number of people gave up on life, there was even more people that became determined to get to level 100 of Aincrad and escape from the game.

Harry, for his part, was in the depressed category. He was perpetually lost, scared and confused, and found himself wandering a lot, sometimes not even paying attention to where he was going.

On this particular day, he was in the fields once again, desperately avoiding running into any enemies, when he saw a brown-haired man with a red bandana fighting boars. He tried to pass by, but his heart stopped when the man made eye contact with him.

Klein blinked at seeing the child in front of him, then smiled warmly and waved. "Hey, kid! What brings you out he-" He stopped talking when Harry turned and bolted. "Hey, wait, come ba-URK!" He was rudely interrupted when a boar rammed into him from behind, causing him to fall flat on his face. Klein hopped to his feet and impaled the boar through the face, killing it, then turned to look for the child. He was gone. Klein sighed.

"I sure hope he wasn't a player...No kid should be trapped in this place..."

Harry just continued to blindly run away from the tall bandana man. _'Need to get away...'_was Harry's mental mantra until he ran into something solid while he was distracted. Harry fell to his behind and rubbed his head in pain. "W-What did...I..." Harry started to say until he looked up to see the back side of a boar. The boar then turned around and locked onto the player that bumped into it, snorting angrily.

Harry wasted no time in getting to his little feet and dashing away as fast as he could. He whimpered when he heard the boar's bellowing as it charged after him, intent on crushing the tiny boy under its weight. The child felt tears pour down his cheeks, and tried desperately to wipe them off as he ran. _'No crying, no crying, no crying...'_

As this was happening, Asuna was grinding experience within the same plain that Harry was currently running for his life in. She just killed another one of those annoying boars, when she heard running. _'I wonder what that is...?'_ Asuna wondered as she turned around to see Harry running away from a very angry boar.

The young woman's eyes widened at what she was seeing. Why was that child all alone? Had nobody stepped up to care for him when they noticed a little boy wandering the game?

Asuna gasped slightly as Harry tripped and got his foot caught in a root. Her eyes narrowed at the boar, and she drew her rapier...

She activated a sword skill and dashed towards the boar before it could kill the child.

Harry was running for his life before he felt his foot caught on something that caused him to trip. He tried to get back up to run but his foot wouldn't budge in the slightest. With a quick look, he saw that his foot was caught in a root that made a loop above ground.

Harry heard the boar quickly gaining ground on him. He struggled to pull his foot free, but it simply wasn't happening. Defeated, Harry lay face down in the grass, waiting to get crushed...

He heard a death cry, but it was not his own. Looking up, he saw the woman he had seen on the first day sheathing a rapier. The boar was nowhere in sight. She turned to him.

Harry flinched when she looked his way. _'Oh no! She's going to kill me next!'_ Harry though as he struggled to get his foot out of the root so he could escape. Asuna gave him a sympathetic look before she crouched down to his level and put her hand on his foot.

The second she did this, however, Harry flinched and started to panic. "Please don't hurt me! I don't want to die!" Harry said in desperation, causing Asuna to stop and look at him in the eyes.

"...I'm not gonna hurt you, little guy." She said softly as she reached down to untangle his foot from the root. A quick tug later, and Harry was free. He jumped to his feet and began to run...only to feel a hand on his shoulder. "Just wait a minute!" Harry stiffened, and awaited the inevitable strike...

The strike never came. Asuna gently turned him around and looks him in the eye with a concerned expression. "Why are you playing a game like Sword Art Online anyway, especially alone?" Asuna asked him, causing him to fidget slightly. _'I-If I tell the truth, what will Uncle Vernon do to me...?'_ Harry asked himself as he tried to think of an effective lie.

"M-My aunt and uncle let me..." He answered softly. Asuna stood and put a hand on her hip with a frown.

"This game is way too dangerous for a little boy." She said seriously.

"Th-They didn't trust it, so they asked me to test it." Asuna scoffed.

"That is absolutely abysmal parenting, or guardianship, or whatever you would call it." She said in outrage. "Making a child test a potentially dangerous machine...I've never heard anything so awful!"

At her words, Harry looked down sadly. "I don't like it here." Harry said as he started to shake. "it's s-scary." Asuna gave him a sympathetic smile. "Your not the only one that thinks that Harry, I think it's scary and horrible." Asuna admitted to him as she came closer and enveloped him in a hug to cheer him up.

Harry's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. This was the first affectionate gesture he had ever received... Instantly, and without thinking about it, he threw his arms around the woman's neck, happily hugging back, glad to experience gentle care for the first time.

Asuna smiled briefly before becoming serious again. "Is anyone taking care of you?" Asuna asked him.

"No, I've been all alone here since the first day I got here." Harry replied sadly while still in the hug.

Asuna was shocked. A tiny little boy was alone the whole week that they been trapped here so far? _'...I CAN'T just leave him here...There's only one option.'_

The young woman smiled warmly at the cute little boy in her arms. "Aw, I could never leave a little dear like you out here all alone. If you'd like...I'll let you come with me. I'll take care of you. Would you like that?"

Harry's eyes widened to major proportions when she made the offer. _'Sh-She really wants me...?'_ Harry thought happily until he frowned. _'She doesn't know I'm a freak...'_ Harry thought with sadness.

"It's okay, you don't have to deal with a useless freak like me." Harry told her as he looked down enough so that his eyes were hidden by his hair.

Asuna's eyes widened. "What? Useless freak? You? Don't be silly! I'd be happy to have you with me!" She smiled as she poked the boy's nose. "How did you come to the conclusion that you were a freak?"

Harry opened his mouth and was about to say that it was his uncle that told him this, but he knew that Vernon would be furious with him if he told someone. "I-I can't tell you...He'll k-kill me." Harry told her.

Asuna eyes widened at the mention that someone was going to kill him. She then narrowed her yes. "Who?! Who said that they were going to kill you?!" Asuna demanded.

_'Oh no! She can't find out! Uncle Vernon will make me drink chemicals or bury me in the backyard again!'_ The thought of what Vernon would do to Harry if he ever found out that someone knew of his treatment was too much. Harry began to hyperventilate.

Asuna was startled by his reaction to her question. _'Oh no, oh no!'_ Asuna thought to herself as she tried to figure out how to calm him back down. So she ended up starting rubbing his back. "I'm sorry! You don't need to tell me if you don't want to!" Asuna said in desperation to calm him down.

The back rub slowly, but surely, soothed the panicking little boy. When she was sure he was calm, Asuna pulled out of the hug, and stood, smiling gently down at him. "Well, if you really don't want-" She was interrupted when Harry ran to her and hugged her leg.

"Yes...Please...Thank you...I...I don't wanna be alone anymore..."

She placed her hand on his head and rubbed his scalp, causing him to hum in pleasure. "You're welcome...what's your name?" Asuna asked in embarrassment, forgetting that she didn't ask him his name the entire time they were talking together.

"My name is Harry, miss." Harry told her.

"Hello Harry, my name is Asuna." Asuna introduced herself with a smile. Harry smiled back at her and was surprised when she scooped him up in her arms and cradled him like a mother would her baby. "Alright then, let's get to a town." Asuna said as she started walking to the nearest town.

This would be the start of a two year adventure for the two as they keep each other company during this trying ordeal.


	3. Chapter 3

Asuna wordlessly carried the child into the nearest town, then looked down at him.

"Where have you been staying, sweetie?" She asked gently. Harry, snuggled into her bosom, pointed at a nearby alleyway. Asuna's eyes widened, then narrowed. "...Well that ends now." She said firmly. "Where I go, you go." Harry flinched slightly at her tone, which she noticed. "Oh! No, no, I'm not mad at you or anything." She said gently. "I just...really want to help you."

Harry looked up at her with hopeful eyes. "Really?" Harry asked with huge, adorable eyes. Asuna's heart stopped at how he looked at her.

_'H-He's so cute!'_ Asuna thought. She then smiled and brushed some hair out of his eyes. "Really." Asuna told him, making him smile.

"Thank you, Miss Asuna..." The little boy said quietly. Asuna closed her eyes and smiled.

"You're welcome, sweetie." She said gently. She rubbed his back.

Harry smiled warmly in content, enjoying the soothing gestures. Slowly, as if afraid of getting hit for doing it, the little boy wrapped his arms around the young woman in a hug.

Asuna paused momentarily to look at Harry hugging her, a surprised look on her face. _'Aww..." _The young woman thought, until Harry realized what he was doing and let go of her, looking on the brink of a nervous breakdown. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad!" Harry said quickly, causing Asuna to frown.

"I'm not mad at you for hugging me." Asuna told him.

Harry blinked. "R-Really?" He asked. Asuna giggled.

"Of course! It's really cute, actually." Harry blushed.

"Um...y-you think I'm...c-cute?"

"Of course I think you cute!" Asuna said happily, thinking that it was obvious. "You're easily the cutest little thing I've ever seen in my life!" Asuna closed her eyes and tilted her head with a warm smile as she said this. "In fact, I'm gonna hug you back." Asuna stated, before holding him as tightly as she could without hurting him.

Harry was stunned. She didn't think he was ugly...It was a miracle... The little boy teared up slightly, but wiped the tears away, not wanting to anger her. Everyone got angry when he cried... He buried his face in the young woman's chest, trembling slightly from the amount of happiness he was feeling.

Asuna looked at him with a sad smile as she started to rub the back of his head again. _'He's so shy...' _Asuna thought with concern. She started to walk again and continued to do so until she found the Inn."Here." She stopped in front of the building. "This is where we'll be staying, sweetie." She said gently into Harry's ear.

Harry looked up at the inn. It was small, but it would be a nice place to sleep for the night...

"It's nice..." He replied shyly. Asuna smiled.

"Yes. It is. ...Are you hungry?" She asked. Harry opened his mouth to reply...then his stomach grumbled. He blushed, and Asuna's smile widened. "Well, then. Let's go get you something to eat, okay, sweetie?"

Harry hesitated but nodded his head. "Great, then let's go in." Asuna said as they entered the inn. Once inside, they looked around and saw the front desk, stairs that led to the room upstairs, and a little bar area with a counter with someone manning it and tables.

Asuna sat down at one of the tables. A waitress came over to their table and asked for their order.

Asuna ordered herself a simple meal of some boar meat and some salad. Harry tried to order a small bowl of soup. but...

"Is that really all you want to eat?" Asuna asked.

"It's all I deserve..." Harry replied. Asuna frowned.

"...He'll have a medium sized plate of the best meat you have." She said calmly as she handed the money to the waitress.

The waitress nodded and left while Harry looked at Asuna in surprise. "W-Why did you do that?" Harry couldn't help but ask, still new with people being nice to him. Asuna offered him a small smile as she explained.

"Because you need more then soup to get rid of the artificial hunger from the game." Asuna told him.

Harry smiled at the young woman. He decided he liked her a lot. She was so nice to him.

Asuna smiled back at how cute the child was.

"So, Harry...Tell me about your family." Asuna said, trying to start a conversation.

Harry's breath hitched at the mention of his family. _'If I slip up, Uncle Vernon will kill me!'_ Harry thought as he started to panic. Asuna eyes widened as Harry started to hyperventilate.

"Harry?! What is it?!" Asuna asked, now worried. Harry's rapid breathing didn't cease. By this point, everyone in the cafeteria was staring in concern. "Harry, please calm down! You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" Harry's breathing did not slow. Immediately, Asuna rose from her seat, kneeled beside him and held his tiny body against her chest. "Shhh..." She whispered softly.

She started rubbing his back and the effects were almost immediate. His breathing became less erratic and more even. After a few minutes, his breathing went back to normal as he calmed down. He leaned into her hug and sobbed silently for a few moments.

After a few moments, Harry's sobs faded, and he buried his face into Asuna's chest, allowing his tears to fall on her shirt. Slowly, he gripped onto her clothes with his tiny fist, then remained absolutely still in her arms.

Asuna absentmindedly rubbed the back of his head as she became lost in her thoughts. _'Why did he react like that?!'_ Asuna internally questioned as she looked at Harry's still form. _'Did...did something happen at his home...?'_

After a few moments, they heard someone clearing their throat. They turned to see the waitress, standing awkwardly.

"Your food is ready..." She said softly. "I apologize for interrupting." And with that, she turned and left.

Asuna looked down at Harry with a smile, then sat next to him in a seat. She moved her bowl over from the other end of the table, then wrapped an arm around Harry and pulled him against her body.

Harry immediately wrapped his left arm around her and leaned into her body. Asuna smiled as she picks up a fork and speared a piece of meat from his plate, proceeding to move it towards his mouth.

Harry felt himself drooling at the smell of the warm meat, and when it was close to his mouth, he eagerly opened wide and chomped down on it. He blinked and grinned as he chewed on the food. It was the most delicious food he'd ever had in his life...

Asuna giggled, then fed him some more meat. The rest of the people in the restaraunt smiled at the scene, genuinely believing that they were a mother and son that had been playing the game together.

Asuna continued to feed him his meat, while eating her own boar and salad every now and again, until they were both out of food. They were both humming in content as Asuna used a napkin to clean some stains from his mouth and cheeks.

Harry looked up at his temporary caretaker with a smile.

"Th-Thank you for dinner, Miss Asuna..." He said softly. "It was yummy..." Asuna giggled.

"Of course, sweetie." She scratched the top of his head. The little boy hummed softly...then let out a soft yawn. "Aww, are you tired, sweetie?" Asuna asked. Harry hesitated, then nodded shyly. With a smile, the young woman lifted Harry into her arms. "Let's go upstairs then..."

And so, after reserving a room, Asuna carried the little boy up the stairs, and sat on one of the beds. She looked down at Harry...and saw that he had already fallen asleep in her arms.

Asuna looked at him for a few moments and almost had a heart attack. _'OH MY GOD! HE IS SOOOOOO CUTE!'_ Asuna cooed in her head as she resisted the urge to hug and nuzzle him. She took a few breaths to calm down.

She forced herself to place him in the bed, then wrapped the covers over him. She crawled in next to him, then smiled as she pulled him against her chest. He let out a soft coo as he snuggled up to her, and she bit her lip to keep the squeal of delight from awakening him. Smiling lovingly, she placed a gentle kiss on the little boy's cheek.

"Sweet dreams, Harry." She told him softly, before resting her head on the pillow and joining him.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry's eyes slowly opened. He felt something wrapped around him, and he felt more comfy than usual...When his vision finally cleared, he saw Asuna, smiling in her sleep as she held him tightly.

He smiled at the way she cuddled him so lovingly, and didn't want to move out of her arms or wake her up. He snuggled into her and sighed in content, wanting nothing more then to stay like this for as long as he could before Asuna wakes up.

It took fifteen minutes for Asuna to awaken. She let out a soft yawn, then looked down at the boy in her arms, blinked and smiled warmly. "Hi, sweetie." She said kindly. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Harry nodded his head without looking up. "Yes, miss Asuna." He said as he nestled into her, making her smile deeper.

_'EEEEE, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!'_ Asuna thought.

"I'm glad to hear it. Are you still afraid, sweetheart?"

Harry shook his head. Ever since Asuna had found him, he had experience love, gotten to eat good food...As it turned out, this had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. Asuna giggled. "Good! Wanna go get some breakfast?"

"Um...Actually...Can we stay like this a little longer? ...You're comfy..."

Asuna smiled and rubbed his head. "Of course, but not too long because we have stuff to do today." Asuna replied gently, having planned some important things regarding Harry.

Harry was slightly disappointed, but he decided to take in as much enjoyment out of this as he could. "Okay..." He rested his head against her chest.

They stayed like that for half an hour before Asuna began to sit up. "Sorry, sweetie, but it's time to go now."

"Um...Can we sleep like that again tonight?" Harry asked.

Asuna giggled and closed her eyes as she nodded. " Yes. We can absolutely sleep like this tonight." Asuna said as she picked him up. "Now, let's get some food in us." Asuna told him as she walked out of the room and downstairs.

They both had eggs, bacon, and hash for breakfast before they headed out of the inn and into town.

"Um...Miss Asuna?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to get you better weapons and armour."

"B-Better weapons and armour...? But...I don't wanna hurt anyone..."

Asuna shook her head as they continued to walk. "You're not going to be hurting anyone, Harry, only hostile npc's." Asuna explained. "They're not real, living things. So you don't have to worry about hurting them."

Harry looked down. "I don't know..." He said softly. Asuna stopped walking and knelt next to him with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be fine, Harry." She said gently. "I can't always be by your side, so it's important that you're able to protect yourself when I'm not there. Okay?"

Harry still wasn't sure as he stared into her eyes. He nodded his head with an uneasy look on his face. "Alright miss Asuna, I'll try." Harry told her.

Asuna smiled and patted his head. "Good boy." She said approvingly. "Come on, we're almost there."

Soon enough, Asuna had led her charge to the weapons store.

"Here we are." Asuna stated happily as she opened the door and let herself and Harry in. The walls were filled with a different array of swords and other weapons such as rapiers, claymores, broadswords, bastard swords and many others. At the front counter, a older looking green haired man with scars on his face and arms stood.

Harry hid shyly behind his caretaker's leg, shy to interact with the man behind the counter. Asuna tilted her head and giggled.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll talk to him." She assured.

She walked up to the man with a smile. "Hello sir, I need to get some armour for this child." Asuna said, gesturing towards harry.

The man looked at her with a stoic face. "Of course, any idea on what type of armor your looking for?" The smith asked.

Asuna thought for a moment. "Maybe some chain mail armor would work." Asuna told him.

"Right." The man nodded, calmly turning to grab the armour. He fished it off of the shelves and handed it to Asuna. "Here you go. Try it on first, and see if it works for him."

"Alright." Asuna said with a nod as she took the armor. She looked down at Harry. "Okay Harry, I'm going to put this over your head to see if it'll work." Asuna explained.

Harry nodded shyly, and allowed his guardian to slip the heavy metal armour over his tiny body. He felt the weight of the armour on his body. It felt weird...

Just then, Harry lost balance and fell over, causing Asuna to gasp. "Harry! Are you okay?!" Asuna asked with worry. Harry nodded his head as he struggled to get up, prompting Asuna to help him up.

"Okay...That won't work..." Asuna mumbled before turning to the shopkeep. "Do you have anything light, but still durable enough to protect him?"

The smith placed his hand on his chin and hummed in thought. Then his eyes brightened. "I think I have something, give me one moment." The smith said as he went through a box next to him and pulled out what looked like leather with patches of fur one the shoulder pads.

"Dire Bear leather armor!" The smith said with a triumphant smile.

Asuna looked at the Smith in confusion, not knowing what a Dire Bear is. "What's a Dire Bear?" Asuna asked him.

"It's simple really, a Dire Bear is like a regular bear found in the forest near this town, but more...well, dire.." The Smith told her. "They are one of the more dangerous monster on this level. They're quite nasty."

Asuna nodded her head. "I see, and how good is the armor?"

"Not only is the Dire Bear leather armor much lighter then the chainmail, but it's almost as durable and good at protecting you as chainmail." The smith explained.

Asuna smiled. "Perfect!" She said as she grabbed the armour. "Here, Harry...Try this." She slipped the armour on over his head.

Harry allowed Asuna to slip the armour over him...and blinked when it didn't cause him to fall flat on his back like the other one did. It was even kind of comfortable...

Asuna watched as harry admired the armour. "So how does it feel?" Asuna asked curiously. Harry looked up at her with a smile.

"It's so comfy and warm. And it doesn't cause me to fall." Harry said excitedly.

Asuna giggled. "Well then it's settled!" She placed 100 cor on the counter. "We'll take it!" The man smiled and nodded.

"Have a nice day!" He said as Asuna led Harry out of the building.

"So now what, Miss Asuna?" Harry asked. Asuna smiled.

"Well...I'm going to teach you how to fight. You have your sword?"

Harry looked around timidly. "I-I don't know." Harry told her.

Asuna looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? Everyone that is in this game had a basic sword to begin with." Asuna explained. "You should have been able to equip it from your menu."

Harry looked at her in confusion. "Menu?" Harry said in a confused manner.

Asuna blinked, then smiled and knelt beside him.

"Okay...First, you take your right hand..." She grabbed Harry's right hand and held it up for him. He blinked in surprise when his menu screen popped up. Asuna giggled. "Now, you touch the bar that says "inventory"." She moved Harry's hand so he did so. "Then, you just pick your sword." She touched Harry's hand against the sword icon, and his sword appeared in his hand.

Harry was so shocked when the blade appeared out of no where, he dropped it in surprise. Asuna giggled as she picked up his sword and put it back in his hands.

"And that is how you use your menu and get to your inventory." Asuna told him.

Harry nodded, still stunned by what had just transpired. Asuna grabbed his hand and led him off.

"Now come on. Let's go find some boars so you can get some practice in."

Harry nodded as she led him through the safe zone and towards the exit, towards the field that Asuna first found him. They found a spot that had a few boars, perfect for teaching Harry how to fight and defend himself.

Once they were within sight, a boar took notice of them, and with a snort, got ready to charge. Asuna placed Harry on the ground and stood beside him.

"Just do your best." She said gently. "I won't let it hurt you."

Harry looked very nervous as he nodded and slowly walked towards the boar. His arms were shaking as he held his sword and the boar stomped it's hoof on the ground, preparing to charge at him.

_'I...I can do this...It's not real...'_ Harry thought as the boar squealed and charged at him.

Timidly, Harry held out his sword. Squeezing his eyes shut, he swung...

...And missed, getting rammed by the boar. He yelped as he was hurled onto the ground. He breathed heavily as his life bar showed that the hit took a fifth of his life away.

Harry's eyes widened at the life bar, and the boar was making another dash at him...

SLICE!

Asuna had grown furious at the boar when she saw it hit Harry, and she felt nothing more than an immense desire to slice it in half. So she did so, before turning to her charge in concern.

She knelt down next to him and helped him up. "Are you okay Harry?!" Asuna asked as she looked at the spot that was hit. All Harry was able to do was nod his head, too shocked from being hit to say anything.

Asuna looked at him sadly and hugged him tightly. "Oh, sweetie..." She breathed. "You're scared... Maybe you're not ready for this yet..." Asuna stood. "I'll take you back to town, and-YIPE!" She yelped in surprise as a boar rammed into her from behind, causing her to roll down a nearby hill and fall flat on her face, her butt sticking straight up in the air.

Harry was horrified that the lady that had been so nice to him was sent down a hill by a boar. "MISS ASUNA!" Harry yelled as he glared at the boar, who was still targeting Asuna and ignoring Harry. Harry picked up his sword and pointed it at the boar, unknowingly activating his sword skill and dashed at the boar. He stabbed the sword right into the forehead of the boar, killing it and making it shatter.

Harry stared in surprise as the boar disappeared. He had done it. He had defeated his first enemy...

Asuna had gotten into a sitting position just in time to see Harry defeat his first enemy.

When the last of the boar disappeared, Asuna stood up and clapped her hands. "You did it Harry!" Asuna yelled out as she ran to Harry and gave him a hug. "Your first kill, I'm so proud of you!"

Harry blinked, then smiled widely and hugged her back.

"I did it!" He said, joy and excitement evident in his voice. "I really did it! I won!"

While they hugged, a screen popped up in front of Harry, scaring him. Then, words appeared that said, 'Congratulations, you obtained 30 cor for slaying a Frenzy Boar.'

Harry looked at the screen in confusion before the screen disappeared.

"Wh-What was that, Miss Asuna?" He asked shyly.

"It's money, sweetie." Asuna replied with a closed-eyed smile.

"I...I won money?"

"Yes! When you defeat enemies in this game, you earn money from them." Asuna explained.

Harry just stared at her in awe, He had never been allowed near money before now.

"Really? I can get money?!" Harry asked.

"Of course." Asuna replied warmly. "We have to pay for things somehow."

"Wow..." Harry breathed.

Asuna smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Here's an idea, how about we get something really good for dinner to celebrate your first kill?" Asuna asked him, earning an excited nod from Harry.

"Okay miss Asuna." Harry said as Asuna picked him up.

"Then let's get back to town before it gets to late."

Asuna, with Harry in her arms, walked back to the Town of Beginnings to get something special for their dinner in celebration of Harry's success.

Harry spent the whole trip back snuggled into her chest. He loved being held by her so much...


	5. Chapter 5

Asuna and Harry had arrived back to the inn and took a seat at a table. Asuna smiled at Harry warmly, and he looked back bashfully.

They stared at each other for a few more moments before Asuna broke the silence, "I want you to order anything you want tonight, you've earned it." Asuna told him.

Harry looked back at her. "A-Are you sure?" He asked softly. "I don't wanna be a burden or anything..."

Asuna's smile became more sad looking as she patted his head. "Don't worry, I've earned enough money from killing hostile monsters to pay for the meal." Asuna explained to him.

"Okay..." Harry conceded as he looked over his menu. Harry looked down the menu and saw a delicious looking steak that was made from something called a Dire Cow. "Um...Miss Asuna...?" Asuna smiled and looked as he pointed at his menu. "C-Can I try that...? It's okay if you don't want me to, I understand..."

Asuna looked at the item and drooled a little bit from how good it looked. "Of course you can have it, like I said, you can have anything you want. In fact, I think I'll get it also." Asuna told him as Harry placed the menu down with a smile.

"Thank you, Miss Asuna." He said gratefully, eagerly awaiting the waitress's arrival.

Minutes later, the same waitress from before walked up to them and bowed. "How may I help you this evening?" The waitress asked them.

Asuna smiled. "We would like to order the steak, please." She requested, pointing at their order.

The waitress looked at the item in question and nodded. "That's a very good choice miss, it's a really tender and juicy steak." She commented as she wrote down the order. Asuna and Harry exchanged a smile. "The steak comes with a side of sweet potato fries and Cole slaw. Is there anything else you would like?" The waitress asked.

Asuna thought for a moment. "Actually, I was wondering why the cow the steak was made from was called a Dire Cow." Asuna told her. The waitress nodded in understanding and explained. "Yeah, I asked that on my first day working here, its because the animal in question is like a cow, but dire." She explained.

Asuna sweatdropped. "Great explanation there..." She said.

The waitress blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, that's the only thing they told me." She admitted as she straightened up. "Anyway, your steaks should be done within twenty minutes."

Asuna sighed and nodded with a smile. "I guess it can't be helped. Thank you very much for your service." The waitress bowed again and went to the kitchen to tell the chefs the order. Asuna ruffled Harry's hair. "Hang in there, sweetie, the food will be ready soon." She said gently. Harry giggled at the playful ruffling. Asuna's heart dissolved at the sound. She couldn't help but think about how adorable he was and how much he made the whole horrible experience a little bit more brighter. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. He felt the spot she kissed and smiled.

"...No one's ever done that for me before...That thing you did with your lips, I mean..."

Asuna tilted her head in confusion. "You mean a kiss?"

"Yeah..." Harry nodded. "I...I never had one before..." Looking at him sadly, she kissed him again.

'What is his life outside the game like...?' Asuna thought to herself. She thought about it for a while until the waitress returned with their smiled as the plate of food was placed in front of her. She looked as a plate was placed in front of Harry, she could see that the sight of the food was making Harry drool a little. She giggled softly. "Go for it, sweetheart." She encouraged. "Eat up." Harry nodded and started to eat the food with gusto. The food was so delicious, they couldn't help themselves. It was gone within ten minutes. "Mmm... that was good." Asuna stated as she rubbed her full belly, while Harry nodded in agreement.

"It was..." He yawned. "...Yummy..."

Asuna giggled. "It looks like it's time for someone to go to bed." Asuna said as she got up from the table and picked Harry up. Harry nodded and rested his head on her chest. She sat some money on the table to cover the meal and a tip for the waitress and headed towards the stairs. She was softly cooing at how cute he looked when he was all cuddly in her arms. Before long, they were at the door to their room and she used her free hand to open the room and carried Harry in. She gently set him into the bed and climbed in next to him, holding him close. Before long, they were fast asleep.

Harry found himself in the land of dreams... He was standing over the dead boar he had slain earlier. He felt pride surge through his body, and looked back to see Asuna's reaction...But she wasn't there.

He looked around and noticed that the once beautiful field was now a barren wasteland filled with dead trees and rocks. He then felt something horribly wrong.

Harry quickly turned around to see something truly disturbing. The boar's body was fitting and blood was pouring from its wounds and made a pool. The little boy whimpered and stumbled back as the blood began to morph and compact together to form a familiar shape...

"There you are you little freak!" The now fully formed Vernon yelled as he lunged at Harry and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up with ease. Harry let out a choked gasp as his uncle grabbed his tiny throat. He stared at the man in terror as he felt himself being viciously strangled. "I'll teach you to be happy you little freak. Time to kill you like I should have a long time ago." Vernon said as Harry felt his life drain his body as he was close to dying.

Before he died, he woke up. His tiny body shot up, and he was sweating and breathing heavily. The vibration from him shorting up and his heavy breathing woke Asuna up.

The young woman looked over at him, eyes wide. "Harry! are you okay?!" Asuna asked with worry. Harry threw himself against her, buried his face into her bosom and whimpered in fear. Asuna was shocked and wrapped an arm around him while using the other to hold the back of his head. "Sweetie...What's wrong...?" Harry didn't answer, instead, he started to sob. Asuna looked at him sadly and hugged him tighter, holding him against her chest. Harry, for the most part, didn't know what to do. He wanted to tell Asuna about his dream, but he was afraid that his uncle would find out and strangle him just like in his nightmare. "Harry...Was it a bad dream?" Asuna asked tenderly. Harry nodded his head as he continued to sob.

"It was so scary..." He cried.

Asuna looked at him sadly. "Do you want to talk about it?" Asuna asked, causing Harry to stiffen.

"I...I can't..." He said softly.

Asuna was silent for a few moments then sighed. "Alright, if you don't want to tell me know then you don't have to." Asuna told him as she continued to hold him in her embrace. Before long, Harry was only sniffling. "There...Feel better?" Asuna asked sweetly.

Harry managed a smile. "Y-Yes."

Asuna smiled. "Good..." She pressed his head against her chest. "Now try to go back sleep, sweetie...I'm right here to protect you..." Harry nodded his had as he attempted to fall back to sleep. Asuna ran her fingers through his hair and began to hum softly. Her tune was able to sooth Harry and before long, he felt his eyes growing heavy. Asuna planted a kiss atop his head. "Night Harry" Asuna said with a sleepy smile as Harry was lost to sleep. She spent a few more minutes rocking him back and forth to ensure his dreams were pleasant.

After ten more minutes, she too, fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Asuna and Harry woke up refreshed and well rested. Harry was feeling much better after getting over the horrible nightmare he went through the previous night. After taking a quick bath and getting dressed, Asuna scooped Harry up and took him down stair to get some breakfast.

Asuna ordered an English breakfast for the both of them and received their meal minutes later. The orange haired teen watched as Harry ate his breakfast with a fond smile on her face.

"So Harry, I was thinking that maybe we can take a break from grinding to explore the town." Asuna told him. "Would you like to do that?"

Harry smiled at her. A day just spending time with Miss Asuna? He LOVED the sound of that! And so, he nodded eagerly to show his approval.

Asuna giggled at his enthusiasm.

"Alright then, after we're done eating we'll have a fun filled day of exploration." Asuna declared, folding her fork up dramatically.

"Yay!" Harry cheered, throwing his arms up with a grin. Asuna giggled, reaching over to pat his head. Harry giggled as they finished up their meal and left the inn. Asuna had a tight grip on his hand. "Let's see what we can find around town."

Asuna led them through the morning crowds until they arrived at a Bazaar filled to the brim with players and NPCs. Harry nervously scooted closer to her, wrapping his arms around her leg. It was crowded. He didn't want to get lost.

Asuna gave him a reassuring pat on the head before pushing through the crowd to look at all the amazing accessories, weapons, and items that the peddlers were selling.

'Hmm...Is there anything here worth getting Harry...?' She thought to herself, putting a finger to her chin. Suddenly she noticed a sparkle from the corner of her eye. She turns around and sees a jewelry accessory vender selling a necklace that had a gem that was the same shade of green as Harry's eyes.

She grinned broadly. It was PERFECT! It would look great on him! She went over to the vender, who greeted her politely.

"Hello weary traveler, would you like to look at my wears?" The vender asked Asuna.

"Yes, I'd like that necklace please!" Asuna replied, pointing to it. The vender nodded, going over to the necklace and bringing it over to Asuna.

"That will be 150 cor." The vender told her. A menu appeared in front of Asuna that asked whether or not she wanted to buy the accessory. She pressed the 'YES' option without a moment's hesitation, a broad grin on her face.

A message popped up, thanking her for her purchase. Asuna immediately went into her inventory to search for the item she just purchased. Moments later, she found that it and that it was called 'Emerald Eye.' She selected the necklace and was about to send it to Harry's inventory until she noticed something was very wrong. She no longer felt Harry holding onto her leg anymore.

She stiffened and snapped her head down. "Oh no!" She exclaimed. Harry was gone! She desperately turned around in hopes that he was close by, by no matter where she turned, Asuna couldn't find the green eyed boy.

"No...No...Nonononononononono!" She panicked. She had only taken her eyes off him for a second!

He must have gotten swept up by the crowd. Asuna started running around the Bazaar, desperately looking for her charge before something bad happens to him.

Harry, meanwhile, was wandering around in terror. Where was Miss Asuna?!

He had tried his best to keep a hold of her leg as much as possible. But as she was approaching one of the booths, he ended up slipping off and fell to the ground. By the time he was able to gather himself, the moving crowd ended up pushing him away from Miss Asuna. And now he was scared and confused and alone!

"Hey, are you okay?" A masculine voice said behind Harry. He stiffened at the sound of the voice and snapped his head around. It was...the man from the day he first met Miss Asuna!

"Are you lost ki-what? Aren't you the kid that I saw out in the fields that other day?" Klein asked. The brown haired man was wearing different armor then when he first saw Harry, but his signature red bandana was still wrapped around his head.

"Y-Yes...Hi..." Harry squeaked, hiding behind his hands. The taller man gave him an easygoing smile.

"You don't need to be nervous." Klein told him, crouching down to Harry's height. "My names Klein, what's yours?"

He looked down. "H-Harry...I'm...I'm looking for Miss Asuna..." Harry answered hesitantly.

"Asuna huh?" Klein asked, scratching the stubble on his chin as he tried to remember if he met a girl with that name. "Can't really say that I met anyone with that name. Can you describe what she looks like to me? Maybe I'll be able to help you find her."

Harry looked hesitant. Then he nodded slowly. "Okay..." For the next few minutes, Harry tried his best to describe what Asuna looks like to Klein.

"All right...I think I got it. Where'd you last see her?"

"W-we were in the street with l-lots of people." Harry said with a shutter, remembering the feeling of claustrophobia when they pushed through the crowded street.

"Ah. That's gotta be rough." Klein said, scratching the back of his head. "I hate crowded areas too, y'know. Waaaay too hard to get around." Harry nodded in agreement, happy that he wasn't the only one that felt that way about crowds.

"So let's find this Asuna!" He said, grinning broadly. Harry nodded, offering the man a small smile as he followed the taller man as he led them deeper into town.

Meanwhile, Asuna was absolutely frantic. She was running around like a chicken with its head chopped off, pushing through the crowds of people as she searched far and wide for Harry.

"HARRY!" Asuna screamed at the top of her lungs. She didn't care that people were staring, she just wanted to find her Harry!

After a few minutes of searching the Bazaar Asuna deduced that he wasn't there anymore and left the area hoping that she will have better luck in a different area. What she didn't know was that she was heading towards the same area that Klein and Harry were heading. And little did Harry and Klein know, they were about to witness something horrific.

"Maybe we'll have some luck over here." Klein said as they entered a small plaza that over looked the endless void that was the edge of the world. Harry looked around, but saw no signs of Miss Asuna.

The young boy was about to look down sadly when he noticed a person standing on the edge of the plaza, arms slumped and back hunched.

"Um...Mr. Klein, what is he doing?" Harry asked the taller man.

"Uh...I dunno..." Klein replied, a bad feeling in his gut. "Maybe they're-OH NO!" The person then jumped right off the edge, falling towards the cloudy abyss below.

"SHIT!" Klein cussed, rushing over to the ledged and looked over just as the man exploded into blue pixels. Harry stared wide-eyed at the spot. The man was gone. Was he...? Without even realizing it, Harry started to walk over to Klein, feeling curious about what the man just did. He stopped walking when he heard a familiar voice yelling for him.

"HARRY!" Asuna yelled as she rushed over to him from the other side of the plaza, terror in her eyes. When she made it to him, Asuna scooped him up and held him to her chest, keeping him from looking at where the man jumped.

"Shhhh, it's going to be okay Harry. Everything is going to be okay. Just don't go over there okay?" Asuna said, attempting to be as calm and soothing as possible. However, she was shaking like a leaf. Harry, at this point, had just realizing what had happened. The man was dead by his own hands.

It took him a full minute to process who was holding him. He slowly looked up at his caregiver. "M-Miss Asuna..." He squeaked out.

"Yes Harry, it's me." Asuna answered, rubbing the back of his head. "It's okay...I'm back...You're safe...Nothing like that will EVER happen to you. I promise."

"But...why did that man jump? Didn't he want to live?" Harry asked her. Asuna frowned. How could she explain this type of subject matter to a five year old without traumatizing him?

Asuna's thoughts were interrupted by Klein, who walked over to them looking somber. His quirked his eyebrow at the sight of Asuna.

"Hey, are you Asuna?" Klein asked the red haired swordswoman.

"Yes...I am." Asuna replied, thankful for the distraction. There was no way to describe suicide to Harry and not have him traumatized afterwards.

Klein sighed in relive. "That's great; I was helping Harry here look for you." Klein explained, pointing at the top of Harry's head. "I'm glad that we were able to find you, though I wish it wasn't right after…you know." Asuna nodded, knowing what he was referring to.

"Thank you...For helping him..." She said gratefully, rubbing Harry's head gently. "I really appreciate it."

Klein's beamed at the praise, a grin threatening to split his face in half. "It was nothing. I was in the area and happened to bump into him." Klein explained. Asuna giggled despite herself.

"Well you're a very nice guy." She said sincerely. Klein blushed at her compliment. Asuna stood up; making sure that Harry was secured in her arms. Harry poked his head over Asuna's shoulders.

"Thank you Mr. Klein." He said shakily, still shaken up by what he had just witnessed.

Klein stares at Harry for a moment before smiling, reaching over with his hand to ruffle Harry's hair. "Don't mention it kid, I was happy to help." Klein told Harry. "And don't worry; everything is going to be fine, I promise."

"That's right." Asuna told him gently. "Nothing will ever happen to you while I'm here."

Harry gave them a small smile before burying his face into Asuna's shoulder. After they bided watch other good bye, Asuna and Harry departed from the plaza and headed back to the Inn. Asuna had decided that Harry had had enough exploring for one day.

Once they reached the Inn they immediately went up to their room to rest from the stressful few hours they endured. Asuna placed Harry on the bed before she remembered about the necklaces she got for him and smiled slightly.

"Harry~..." She said in a sing-song voice as she quickly opened up the menu and clicked on the item. "Look what I got for you~!" Harry looks up at Asuna in confusion as the Emerald Eye spawned in her hand. The young boy's eyes widened after examining the beautiful necklace.

It was the prettiest thing he had ever seen ever!

He was so memorized, that he almost didn't notice Asuna placing it around his neck and straightening it.

"There! It looks perfect on you!" She said, grinning broadly. Harry looked down at the necklace for a moment with his hair covering his eyes. Before Asuna could do or say anything, Harry had already wrapped his arms tightly around her stomach, sobs escaping through his mouth. Asuna could hear him saying thank you multiple times through his sobs. She was surprised. Why was he crying? Was he that happy over a simple necklace?

"Harry? What's wrong?!" Asuna asked the sobbing boy, rubbing soothing circles on the back of his head.

"I'm...I'm so happy..." He answered between sobs. Asuna nodded in understanding and continued to comfort him until he calmed down a few minutes later.

"There...All better?" She asked softly, stroking his head.

"I...I don't know what I done to deserve you." Harry told her, feeling his eyes droop from emotional exhaustion.

Asuna smiled sadly and held him closer. "I'll tell you. You are a sweet, cute little boy. That's what you did." Harry smiled in contentment as exhaustion started to overtake him. "I love you...Miss Asuna." Harry said before falling asleep in her arms.

Asuna smiled warmly. She felt impossibly happy hearing those three simple words.

She gently tucked him into bed and swept some of his hair away from his face before frowning. The young red haired women hoped that Harry doesn't have to witness anything else like what he saw today ever again. She'll make sure that he'll be nice and happy while their all trapped in this god forsaken game.


End file.
